


Almost Human, After All

by j_marquis



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Diary, Human Experimentation, Pregnancy, what happens in nibelheim stays in nibelheim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:42:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25626115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_marquis/pseuds/j_marquis
Summary: The diary of Dr. Lucrecia Crescent, concerning her pregnancy and the disappearance of Vincent Valentine.
Relationships: Lucrecia Crescent & Hojo, Lucrecia Crescent & Vincent Valentine
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9
Collections: FF7 Fanworks Exchange '20





	Almost Human, After All

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EchoThruTheWoods](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoThruTheWoods/gifts).



3 July

We confirmed the pregnancy today. What surprised me the most is how _little_ I felt for it. There is a collection of cells taken hold in my uterus, completely expected, we were certain of it, the in-vitro fertilization was a solid thing, a surety. So seeing the collection of cells as he passed the wand over my stomach was a hollow thing. A thing I already knew.

And, fertilization complete, we had prepared the samples from the JENOVA specimen to integrate with the fetus. I had prepared for this as well, physically as well as emotionally. I knew there would be ramifications, but the concept- A living specimen with the connection to the Planet as the Ancients had? It was too much to pass up. And even if Gast and Hojo are wrong, and this isn't an Ancient we're facing down, still. I can be a part of reviving an extinct form of human. And what can be done for the scientific community is amazing. And the historic community. There's so much hanging on this pregnancy, I have a hard time even thinking of it as my child. It's _our_ child. The whole world's.

I don't know if I like feeling nothing.

4 July

Vincent doesn't like the idea. I knew he wouldn't. So I waited until it had gone too far. Until there was nothing that could be done about the new being growing inside of me. Don't get me wrong- I care about Vincent, but he is so often distant, buried in a book, fiddling at the piano. Sleeping in the garden. Hojo hired him to be my bodyguard, and all things considered I did need one sometimes. But more than that, I needed a friend. And Vincent was a good friend.

Was.

Now he's angry. Tried to call the Director of the Turks, but Dragoon didn't answer. I've always been concerned about their relationship, he puts a lot of stock into speaking to the Director, and the way he smiles when they talk, well, I do envy that. I want someone who makes me smile just to hear their voice.

Once upon a time Hojo was like that.

He used to be so sweet, especially when we were in Midgar. Flowers on my desk, he memorized my tea order. My favorite variety of shortbread cookies, he used to order them all the way from Junon. He listened to me. No one listens to a woman in the lab. But Hojo used to listen.

He's been putting aside all my discomfort and nightmares and telling me we're doing good work. And I know we are, of course I know, but sometimes I think I'm one of his specimens, not his partner. Or his lover, his fiancee. He told me we would be _married._ I was looking forward to being his wife. Now I'm just another bit of his work.

5 July

At least Vincent listens to me. He comes when the dreams get bad, and his hands are always cool when he brushes my hair back, when his fingers touch my cheek. I wonder if he thinks he loves me. Or if he thinks I love him. His eyes are just like his father's, soft and so brilliant. Maybe I could have loved him, but he's so much like a child. I can only see Grimoire's son, the one he used to speak of so much. The tiny thing who followed him around, demanded his own tiny lab coat and his own tiny clipboard so he could imitate his father's work. Grimoire always spoke of him like he was so young, it's odd to see him grown. But he listens, and he holds my hair when I can't keep food down. brings me tea and makes sure there's a fire in the fireplace when it's cold at night. Nibelheim is odd like that, so cold in the dark, even in the summer.

6 July

His name is Sephiroth. And he's mine.

7 July

8 July

Hojo and I will be married as soon as we go home. 

9 July

10 July

Sephiroth is so little, but he's so loud. He fills my head with everything he will do, everything he will be. And all of the amazing things he will be! He is everything, everything. He is the fire and the salvation, an angel of death, and he is mine. Vincent doesn't understand, he only sees the morning sickness and the nightmares, and the nightmares have been touching him too. He says he dreams of fire, of waking up in a casket. Of a meteor that wrecks through the planet, bleeding the lifestream out into the stars.

He claims it's Sephiroth, sending him these nightmares. Showing him what could come of our work. He doesn't realize how glorious our work is. How much Sephiroth can teach us, all the wonders he can bring us. He will change the world. Vincent thinks I've gone mad. But he has the nightmares too, he tells me about the meteor. I've felt it. Felt the thrum of the meteor in my hands as I call it to the Planet. Felt the fire, known death and known life and knowing how it felt to wander the lifestream and gather all that life and all that magic and all that pain and bring it with me.

Of course he thinks I'm mad. He hasn't seen it.

11 July

I can barely get out of bed. Bearing the birth of the new world is a mess of pain, nausea. Hojo wants me to come to the lab so he can check on our work, but I can barely stand. I haven't kept food down in three days now. Hojo says, though, he'll bring some of the equipment up here, he can at least make sure Sephiroth is alive. He keeps calling Sephiroth "his son."

He's mine.

12 July

Vincent says he's going to talk to Hojo. He says I'm dying.

13 July

I managed to eat breakfast this morning. Hojo brought me oatmeal.

14 July

15 July

16 July

Where is Vincent?

17 July

Hojo says he went home, but all of his things are still here. I can hardly get up. I can't go searching.

18 July

The nausea has passed. I can look for Vincent come morning.

19 July

Hojo didn't kill him. Jenova did. Hojo isn't capable of such a thing. We're supposed to be married.

20 July

He calls the experiments "practice." For my son.

21 July

If these experiments go well, we can reverse death. Think of it! Not only are we bringing a new form of life into the world, a child born of Jenova and man, we might be able to stop death itself. Make something stronger, better. Our names will never die. And neither will we.

22 July

23 July

24 July

I still have the Chaos specimen. Grimoire would be proud to see his son bear it.

25 July

26 July

27 July

I'm so sorry.


End file.
